Anticipation builds over new Apple tablet

By Wes | December 26th, 2009

Apple_Media_Pad_conceptWhile word hasn’t been confirmed yet the buzz seems to indicate that Apple will be releasing an earth-shakingly cool new product in the very near future. According to MacRumors.com the company acquired the domain name iSlate.com in 2007 which pairs nicely with the Delaware company acquired by Apple that filed the same trademark, Slate Computing, LLC. According to MacRumours.com Slate Computing could have been a decoy company made to look like an acquisition by Apple who have been doing R&D on the tablet computer the whole time. iSlate is not the only trademark that Slate Computing, LLC has filed for in the United States. The company also filed for a trademark for “Magic Slate” which pairs nicely with Apple’s recently released multi-touch Magic Mouse.

Because of all the hullabaloo Apple shares are at an all time high, but some questions whether Apple can succeed where others have failed. Other tablets have been criticized for not being user friendly or useful enough in general. If the hype about the iTablet or Magic Tablet pans out and the buzz is true, it will be an ebook reader, a web browser, a video library, and a games player all in one.

According to the National Post Apple is trying to sign up television networks willing to distribute their offerings over the Internet. An article in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal says that Apple’s plan is to offer online access to a selection of television shows in exchange for a monthly fee. So let’s recap…now the tablet is an E-reader, web-browser, video player, games consul, and portable internet TV.  Oh and because it’s larger than an iPhone it’s perfect for newspapers and magazines. So this new tablet is potentially a game changer once again.

If Apple can pull this offering together, cable and satellite companies may find that they can no longer force customers to buy channels in prepackaged bundles.(Holy crap it is about bleeping time!) Customers who don’t like the designated bundles will be able to get the shows they want through Apple’s online network. Although for the record Canada’s Apple TV is sorely inferior to the American version with way fewer choices, as is iTunes Canada.  Magazine and newspaper publishers may also want to offer an iTablet format for their content now that readers can have an all-in-one digital toy that brings everything together in one easy to carry product. So essentially the tablet could be a game changer for many media providers.

But of course all this is just conjecture until Apple officially announces the release of the new product, whatever it may be.

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